The UCI Road World Championships are in full swing in Ponferrada, with BMC Racing and Specialized-Lululemon having already enjoyed success in the team time trials.

And today, September 23, will see the first elite rainbow jersey handed out as the a world class women’s field battles against the clock in a bid to oust 2013 time trial champion Ellen van Dijk (Netherlands).

Tony Martin (Germany), Marianne Vos (Netherlands) and Rui Costa (Portugal) will then put their world titles on the line in the men’s time trial (September 24) and women’s and men’s road races (September 27 and 28).

An undulating course awaits from the Spanish town, with the men’s road race packing in 4,284 metres of ascent over 14 laps of the 18.2km circuit.

But who will end this week in the prestigious rainbow jerseys, and who should you be looking out for as the world’s best men and women go wheel-to-wheel?

Read our in-depth preview over the following pages.